Mary Lou Rath

Mary Lou Rath is a former state senator in New York. A Republican, she represents the state's 61st Senate District, which consists of parts of Erie County and all of Genesee County. In January 2007, she was appointed to the post of Deputy Majority Leader for State/Federal Relations, making her the only woman in the Senate Republican leadership. She announced her retirement in 2008^[1] and was succeeded by Erie County Legislator Michael Ranzenhofer. Senator Ranzenhofer had also succeeded Senator Rath as Minority Leader of the Erie County Legislature when Senator Rath stepped down to become a state senator.

She was elected to the Senate in 1993 after serving as a member of the Erie County Legislature from 1978 to 1993.^[2] During her final four years in the County Legislature, she served as the Minority Leader of the Legislature. She is a resident of the Village of Williamsville. Her late husband, Edward Rath, Jr., was a Justice of the New York State Supreme Court and her father-in-law, Edward A. Rath, was the first County Executive of Erie County. Her son, Edward Rath III, recently won his election for the Erie County Legislature for her former seat. In 1998 she was reportedly considered by Gov. George Pataki as his running mate for lieutenant governor. Pataki choose Judge Mary Donohue instead.

During her service in the Senate, Senator Rath served at different times as Chairwoman of the Tourism, Recreation and Sports Development Committee, Chairwoman of the Children and Families Committee and as Chairwoman of the Local Government Committee.

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